This Timon was a citizen of Athens that lived about the war of Peloponnesus, as appeareth by Plato and Aristophanes’s comedies, in the which they mocked him, calling him a viper and malicious man unto mankind to shun all other men’s companies, but the company of young Alcibiades, a bold and insolent youth, whom he would greatly feast and make much of and kissed him very gladly. Apemantus, wondering at it, asked him the cause what he meant to make so much of that young man alone and to hate all others. Timon answered him: I do it, said he, because I know that one day he shall do great mischief unto the Athenians. This Timon sometimes would have Apemantus in his company because he was much like to his nature and conditions and also followed him in manner of life. On a time when they solemnly celebrated the feasts called Choae at Athens (to wit, the feasts of the dead, where they make sprinklings and sacrifices for the dead) and that they two then feasted together by themselves, Apemantus said unto the other: O, here is a trim banquet, Timon. Timon answered again: yea, said he, so thou wert not here. It is reported of him also that this Timon on a time, the people being assembled in the marketplace about dispatch of some affairs, got up into the pulpit for orations, where the orators commonly use to speak unto the people, and silence being made, every man listening to hear what he would say because it was a wonder to see him in that place. At length he began to speak in this manner: my lords of Athens, I have a little yard in my house where there groweth a fig tree, on the which many citizens have hanged themselves, and because I mean to make some building upon the place, I thought good to let you all understand it, that before the fig tree be cut down, if any of you be desperate, you may there in time go hang yourselves. He died in the city of Hales and was buried upon the seaside. Now it chanced so that the sea getting in, it compassed his tomb round about that no man could come to it, and upon the same was written this epitaph:

• Here lies a wretched corpse, of wretched soul bereft,
• Seek not my name: a plague consume you wicked wretches left.

It is reported that Timon himself when he lived made this epitaph, for that which is commonly rehearsed was not his, but made by the poet Callimachus:

• Here lie I, Timon, who alive all living men did hate,
• Pass by and curse thy fill, but pass and stay not here thy gate.

Many other things could we tell you of this Timon, but this little shall suffice at this present.